Dear END Fund Community,
I hope you, your families, friends, and communities are safe and healthy. These are trying times for all of us, and nothing is more important than the wellbeing of those we hold close.
At the END Fund, there are a number of ways COVID-19 is currently impacting us. As supporters of our mission, we want to ensure you are aware of this impact and how we are responding. Our decisions are being guided by expert advice from our partners in government and at the World Health Organization (WHO), and by the experience and leadership of our own team.
- Our People – The END Fund’s dedicated staff members are at the heart of our organization and their safety is always our priority. Our offices have been physically closed since Monday, March 16 and all employees are working virtually to adhere to guidance around social distancing. We are doing everything we can to ensure everyone has what they need to be productive and are checking in frequently to support their overall physical and mental wellbeing.
- Our Programs and Partners – We remain committed to ensuring people can live healthy and prosperous lives free of the risk of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). COVID-19 cases have started to spread to many of the countries we work in and we are monitoring these situations closely. In many countries, schools – a common delivery platform for mass drug administration programs we support – have closed to try to mitigate the spread of the virus. In many places, surveys, surgeries, treatment campaigns, trainings, and key meetings have been delayed. Regardless of any local challenges, we are supporting our partners to follow effective government and WHO guidelines, and we will adapt to best support our partners during these challenging times.
We are all in this together and, though we do not yet know the full extent of how COVID-19 will affect the work of our partners, I remain optimistic that once things improve we’ll be stronger and more unified than ever in our efforts to tackle the most prevalent neglected diseases among the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.
For now, though, I would simply like to thank you for being part of our community and wish you continued health and safety in the coming weeks and months.
Sincerely,
Ellen Agler
CEO